Hi

How has your week been? I travelled down to Swindon last weekend to check out the venue for our Weekender at the end of July. I’ve been there before, of course, but it had been in use as a vaccination centre so I hadn’t been able to get into the hall we’re using. It’s a great venue, so versatile and just a great place to be. If you’ve somehow missed the info about this great event, please check out the Week3nder website.
On to the questions…

First off this week I’m going to give a more complete answer to a question posed last week, about tinting epoxy with Sprit Stain. I’m grateful to everyone who wrote in with their experiences.
Julian used to use Humbrol paint to tint epoxy adhesive (Araldite in this case) with great success, although I’m not sure if it’s the same thing.
Dave tells us that he’s mixed spirit stains with epoxy resin and the results vary enormously. Some colours (eg red) disappear completely and then reappear when the resin cures; some (blue) seem not to mix at all and then randomness happens as it’s curing. Sometimes the colour comes back, sometimes not. Green’s nice but the end result can be anywhere on the green spectrum. Basically, you can’t tell when mixing what the end result will be so don’t try it if the colour matters, the end result doesn’t match your original mix.

Brian reports success in colouring epoxy, using it in the centre of this bowl, on rims and also oyster shells. Thanks for sharing this information and also the pictures, Brian.

Another query this week was whether Cut’n’Polish should be used on bare wood, or over a sealer. The answer is yes – it can be used on either. In both cases we’d suggest sanding to around 240 grit first. Using the Cut’n’Polish on the bare wood will smooth the surface further but with virtually no sanding dust being created, which is great for your lungs. If a sealer is applied first, you then get the benefit of the sealer (making the top coat more resilient). The Cut’n’Polish will smooth down the sealer, removing the need for using abrasive on it, giving a fantastic base for your next coat. And remember, for the best compatibility, either WoodWax 22 or Microcrystalline Wax should be used on top of Cut’n’Polish.

Our last question for this week came from someone using Finishing Oil. They’d applied a couple of coats and the surface was looking good, but was there, they asked, a way of getting a brighter gloss?
There are, in fact, several different ways to increase the gloss. The first option is to keep applying more Finishing Oil, cutting back lightly between coats. After about six coats it will start to build to a gloss. Another option is to apply wax on top of the oil and buff the wax. The other options are to bring the existing coats of oil up to a brighter finish using either Burnishing Cream or the Buffing Wheel Kit. With these, it is important to allow the oil to dry hard first.

And voila! Another Newsletter done and dusted. This time next week we’ll be in the middle of a long Bank Holiday, I hope you have some good plans for it – even if it’s just taking a good break! I’ll be here as usual on Friday, I look forward to seeing you then.

All the best

Terry